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513:. Atop the east narthex doors, a statue of the titular evangelist Saint Mark rests on a pediment above the entrance. A predominantly notable feature of the exterior is its unique six-sided, sharp needle-like spire that rises up from the towered steeple over the sanctuary end of the church, topped with an oxidized copper cross.
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Paul. Following the completion of the short-line railroad between Saint Paul and
Minneapolis, and the continued growth of families and industries in the area, the village was incorporated into the burgeoning City of Saint Paul in 1885. Originally, there was initial consideration to build an archdiocesan
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for both
Catholic settlers and those living at the Fort Snelling became a consideration. Permanently settled, what is now municipally Saint Paul was still disparate and rural, and the modern-day Merriam Park neighborhood (in which the church is located) was still a separate village from city of Saint
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altarpiece of dark-stained wood, with various gilt carved trim motifs and featuring panels of various saints. A particular and unique feature of the reredos is the inlcusion of several carved squirrels along each side of the reredos, with each squirrel holding an acorn. This is extraordinarily rare;
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In
September 1910, the pastor at the time, the Rev. Father William L. Hart, founded a Boy Scouts troop as part of the parish, exclusively for the boys who were members of the parish. This troop - the "George Washington Troop" - was not only the first Boy Scout troop in Saint Paul, but also the first
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The exterior of the church building consists of red bricks and large blocks of gray stone. Large windows are found both along the trancepts and in the front and rear walls, with pointed arches set at wider angles than typical gothic arches (which normally rise to a more dramatic and sharp apex).
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in the
Merriam Park neighborhhod. After a brief period this course of action was abandoned, however, since it was deemed unfitting to have a cathedral in what was still considered a "country" area at the time, thus leading to the final location of the current
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Boy Scout troop of its kind in the country at the time (being a parish-based troop), bearing the distinction of being the first
Catholic Boy Scout troop in the United States, and the birthplace of Catholic Scouting as a subset of the broader
419:"was visited by several residents of Merriam Park and vicinity in reference to the building of a church, the neighborhood having no place to worship thus far except the Seminary Chapel, which is not suited to their needs."
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and several other regional churches, to design the new church building. However, Masqueray died before a contract could be finalized. Work eventually went to the
Pittsburgh-based architect
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The
Catholic presence in the Saint Paul area reaches back extensively, to the establishment in 1839 of Saint Peter's Catholic Church on a strip of nearby land overlooking the
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Stone steps lead up to the main doors of the church, an entrance set within a similarly gentle gothic arch entry, topped with a statue of the Christ the
Teacher set in the
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404:. Although Catholic religious services in Merriam Park date back to 1877, when diocesan priests provided sacraments for families and religious brothers of the
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troop in the United States, dating back over 100 years. Since 2010, the parish has been administered by the religious order Pro
Ecclesia Sancta, a
337:. In addition to the building's unique architecture and long-standing local prominence, the church is notable for being the birthplace of Catholic
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408:(who operated a school there), a more permanent church presence separate from the local seminary was still needed in Merriam Park.
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James
Michael Reardon. "The Catholic Church in the Diocese of Saint Paul". Saint Paul, MN: North Central Publishing Company. 1952.
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James Michael Reardon. "The Catholic Church in the Diocese of Saint Paul". Saint Paul, MN: North Central Publishing Company. 1952.
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John L. Alexander. "Letter from the Managing Secretary of the Boy Scouts of America to Reverend W.L. Hart". September 26, 1910.
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visits in 1839 and 1847. As families continued to settle the area of the confluence of the Mississippi and the
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consisting both of priests and religious sisters, both of which are present and minister at the parish.
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In response, the decision was made in 1889 to erect a parish, which is now the Church of Saint Mark.
659:. "Five Red Days: The True Story of the 35th US Division in the Meuse-Argonne Battle". May 14, 1927.
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Joseph A. Corrigan. "The History of Saint Mark's and the Midway District." June 1939. Page 69.
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Corrigan, Joseph. "The History of St. Mark's and the Midway District". June 5, 1939.
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Church of Saint Mark of Saint Paul, Minnesota. "Souvenir - - Golden Jubilee". 1939.
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The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of
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This page is sourced here and there, however could use more inline citations.
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in the United States, as it is home to the first and oldest Catholic
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The main sanctuary of the church is notable for its large ornate
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Front Entrance Portal and tympanum, as seen from Dayton Avenue
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First Boy Scouts, with the troop's organizer, Father Hart
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to it so that it can be listed with similar articles.
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619:Northwestern Chronicle, June 15, 1888.
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115:44.94750°N 93.18444°W
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269:150 feet (46 m)
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718:August 2024
462:World War I
253:Years built
203:Consecrated
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58:August 2024
733:Categories
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587:References
431:Boy Scouts
384:missionary
327:Saint Mark
297:Archbishop
137:Saint Paul
106:93°11′04″W
103:44°56′51″N
50:footnoting
744:Minnesota
456:with the
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256:1918–1919
141:Minnesota
739:Churches
706:help out
575:See also
517:Interior
511:tympanum
496:Exterior
454:chaplain
414:seminary
339:scouting
131:Location
46:citation
704:Please
667:Sources
523:reredos
458:US Army
376:Dubuque
353:History
333:of the
280:Diocese
194:Founded
179:History
169:Website
147:Country
554:Pulpit
476:Design
426:Parish
291:Clergy
266:Height
220:Active
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184:Status
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